Thread holder



Feb.28, 1950 GCHASE w I 2,499,130

THREAD HOLDER Filed Oct. 16, 1947 Patented Feb. 28, 1950 UNITED ES. PATENT OFFICE HOLDER Gladys. Chase, Peekskill, N. Y." Applicatibnllctober 16, 1947,1Serial No. 780,2

5.=Claims.= (Cl. 242J-l38) 'This invention relates to new and" useful ima provements-in' holders for tattering; crocheting; darning and other sewing threads; and aims;v more particularly, to'provide asmall'and compact handheld holder for a ball, skein, cop or spool-' of tatting or crocheting threadi In tattingor crocheting the thread used for same must'be handled; say by theaid ofthe left" hand if the person doing the tatting or crochetingis right-handed; in a particular way,

and so as to have a free" and unimpeded unreel ing or unwinding ofthe thread-and: yet to provide 'a-sufiici'ently large althoughpred'eterminedly restricted thread loop between the cop, skeinor spool and the work being tatted or crocheted;

By the present" invention, the holder, which is conveniently cylindrical in shape, maybe com-- fortably held in the hand other than the one engaged in tatting orcrocheting, so that the thread may pass freely from the. holder by way" of an opening in a wall thereof, and yet -the loop may be controlled: to remain constant or" be modified according to desire: as the work. progresses.

The 1 control just mentioned is v afforded by' very" simple and efficient means, operated by thumb" or finger pressure, to prevent feeding of.'1- the...

thread from the holder to'the loop. but operable,

on: release of such pressure, mallow feedingofe the thread to be resumed.

A feature of. the invention,.in-connection .with theloop control, is that, asiaresult. attire-rela tion. of said. opening and thesloop. control means; the thread cannot become. inadvertentlyflocked. against further f eed. anywhere. on: the holder: and;

particularly. at said means;

While especially valuable; for. use intattingzor crocheting,. the new. holder, which desirably; is: made of a transparent. plastic, so as. to. be: very light in Weight andalso so that the. amountrof' thread. in the. same may be instantly noted:by; merev inspection of. the holder without openingthe same, is also useful for darning; and other sewing threads, whether such thread be.v wound into a ball or. skein, or wound on the familiar wooden spool on which. most if not. allordinary thread is Wound.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof," reference will be had to the following description and" accompanying, drawing, and to the appended" claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly. set forth.

In the accompanying drawing forming a mate"- ri'al part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is av perspective-view, showing one now 1y cubical skeln of tatting' or'crocheting. thread inside the holder, as; indicated: in broken lines.

Fig:- 3isa view similar'to Fig: 1, but showing;

a. modification.

Fig. 4 shows theholderof Fig: 3, looking towardtherearthereof;

Fig; 5 is a View: in: elevation, illustrating another modification.

Fig-6 shows'in perspective'an element'ofl ig.v 5

constituting the meansaforesaid; detached fromtheholder.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view, illustrating the" modification of Fig. 5 applied to a. holder of feature of the invention.

Referring to the: drawing more in detail, and firsta'to'Figs'. 1land '2, the holder illustrated comprises a rather short.cylindrlcal hollow main portion I0 in the shape-of anopen top cup.

Such" cup I'D isshown-as 'closable by a, bodily' removabler circumferentially" flanged cap ll.

Running down along the; length of the sidewall. of the cup Innis a slot IZ extending from the top of thea cupto near thebottom thereof.

As typifying a ball, skein. orlike supply of tattingor crocheting thread, a short-cylindrical skein' of such thread is indicated at I4 in Fig. 2. After; or before; depositing the skein [4 in the cup ID; a. length I5 of'theth-readis passed throughthe slot' l2, and then the cap H is put in place; with'its flange sleeving. the outside of the cup; the frictional relation between said flange and thecup being such as to hold the cap dependably in I place againstaccident'al removal; butv soas to" permit. easy deliberate removal of the cap:

The thread length l5 beyond itsissuanoe from the slot ['2 is laid aroundthe cup l0, between it and: a" leafmember I6, secured near one end,

hereits lowcr end, as at 11', to the side wall of thecup. Said leaf memberalong its free length beyond its securement I'I'is somewhat-resilient,

with a normal set such'that' the inner face ofthe major part of said member is: spaced far enough from the' cup to allow freetravel. of. the thread length l5 through the space between the member l5 and the side of the cup-H1.

When tatting' orcroche'ting is: to be started,-

the thread iszdrawnthrough the slot 12 from the skein M by pulling on the thread length I to provide the desired loop. Then, with the holder held in one hand and so placed therein that the thumb or a finger of that hand lies against the leaf member l6, such thumb or finger is pressed against the leaf member to clamp the thread therebehind to hold the loop.

As the work progresses, and from time to time as needed, such pressure is released, a pull is given to the thread length 15 to enlarge the loop then remaining, and when the loop is once more of proper working length said pressure is restored.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and l, the same type of holder'as above described is illustrated, but its cap I8 is shown as hinged at l9 to the cup 20. The slot 21 is exactly like the slot 12, except that the former along its side adjacent the leaf member 22, corresponding tothe leaf member [6, is shaped as shown in Fig. 3; .thereby to provide a gradual increase in width of the slot 2|, from both its opposite ends toward a zone of maximum width intermediate saidends.

.As a result of this feature, the thread length l5, regardless of howhigh or low along the height of the cup 20 said thread length is leaving its skein or the like, will, in response to pull on said thread length from the exterior of the cup 20,.

partake of a sliding movement lengthwise of the slot 2| to enter its zone of maximum width; and so said thread length will pass behind the leaf member 22 at a point well above any constriction of the lower part of the leaf member 22 against the cu '20 by the securement 23, corresponding to the securement l1.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, themain body of the holder, that is, the cup 24, is shown as exactly like the cup 10, as provided with, a slot 25 exactly like the slot l2, and as closable by a cap 26, which latter may be the cap H, and cap l8 or some other practicable type of cap.

Here, however, the leaf member 21 is an integral part of an L-shaped element 28, the bottom limb 29 of which is secured to the bottom of the cup 24, as indicated at .30.

As a result of this feature, regardless of at what point along the length of the straight slot '25 a thread length corresponding to the thread length l5 issues from said slot, such thread length, in passing behind the leaf member 21, must pass behind the same at a portion thereof clamped nowhere against the side of the cup 24.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7, the cup, marked 3|, is cylindrical as in the embodiments previously described, but such cup is of increased height, so that, when its removable cap 32 is detached, a wooden spool 33 of say ordinary sewing thread may be housed with sufficient looseness in the cup 3! following replacement of the cap 32.

The slot 34, for issuance of a thread length 35, is exactly like the slots l2 and 25, except longer than the latter and to about the same extent as the cup 3| is longer than the cups l0 and 20. Also, a leaf member 3Blike the leaf member 2'! is present; that is, the leaf member 36 is part of an L-shaped element 3'! like the element '28, and it is secured to the bottom of the cup 3 I, as at 39.

' Said leaf member 36 is shown as so long that its upper free end extends to a height slightly above the bottom of the cap 32 when the latter is in place. At the high level thus marked by the upper end of the leaf member 36, and so beyond the field of operation of a thumb or finger relative to the leaf member 33 to hold there a loop pursuant to the invention, said leaf member has a notch 43. Within this notch the thread length 35 may be temporarily and undamagedly wedged, when work is interrupted or finished, to prevent inadvertent return of said length into the cup 3i through the slot 34.

The feature of the invention last described, that is, the combination, with the resilient leaf member for manipulation during work as described, of a thread-length wedging means on said leaf member, may be used with any of the illustratively shown embodiments or with any other embodiment of the invention.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desired to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A thread holder comprising a hollow body for containing the thread supply, said body having an open top, a removable cap for closing said top, a slot extending down along said body from its open top to near its bottom for allowing passage therethrough of a length of such thread, and an elongate resilient leaf member secured to said body at one end thereof for then facewisely lying opposite said body, said member having the major portion'of its length spaced laterally from said body and extended substantially parallel with said slot to allow free passage of the thread length between the same and said body, whereby on application of pressure to said member while making use of the thread length for tatting, crocheting or like work said thread length may from time to time as required be clamped behind said member to arrest further feeding of the thread, said slot being formed with an enlargement intermediate its ends and on the side of the slot adjacent said member for continuously guiding the length of thread beneath the major portion of said leaf member which is separated from said body.

' its open top to near its bottom for allowing passage therethrough of a length of such thread, and an elongate resilient leaf member secured to said body for then facewisely lying opposite said body, said member being spaced laterally I ,1 from said slot and extended substantially parallel with said slot, said member being so connected to said body and beyond such connection having such a resilient set as normally to allow free passage of said thread length between the same and said body whereby on application of pressure to said member while making use of said thread length for tatting, crocheting or like work said thread length may from time to time as required be clamped behind said member to arrest further feeding of the thread, there being a means for preventing said thread length from being inadvertently clamped between said member and said body. said means being provided by constituting said member as an upstanding extension from an L-shaped element, the

lower limb of said element being secured to the bottom of said body.

3. A thread holder comprisin a hollow body for containing the thread supply, said body having an open top, a removable cap for closing said top, a slot extendin down along said body from its open top to near its bottom for allowing passage therethrough of a length of such thread, and an elongate resilient leaf member secured to said body for then facewisely lying opposite said body, said member being spaced laterally from said slot and extended substantially parallel with said slot, said member bein so connected to said body and beyond such connection having such a resilient set as normally to allow free passage of said thread length between the same and said body, whereby on application of pressure to said member while making use of said thread length for tatting, Crocheting or like work said thread length may from time to time as required be clamped behind said member to arrest further feeding of the thread, there being a means for preventing said thread length from being inadvertently clamped between said memher and said body, said means being provided by constituting said member as an upstanding extension from an L-shaped element, the lower limb of said element being secured to the bottom of said body, there also being a wedging means for use at work interruption or completion, for locking said thread length against accidental withdrawal into said body.

4. A thread holder comprising a hollow body for containing the thread supply, said body having an open top, a removable cap for closing said top, a slot extending down along said body from its open top to near its bottom for allowing passage therethrough of a length of such thread, and an elongate resilient leaf member secured to said body for then facewisely lying opposite said body, said member being spaced laterally from said slot and extended substantially parallel with said slot, said member being so connected to said body and beyond such connection having such a resilient set as normally to allow free passage of said thread length between the same and said body, whereby on application of pressure to said member while making use of said thread length for tatting, crocheting, or like work said thread length may from time to time as required be clamped behind said member to arrest further feeding of the thread, there being a, means for preventing said thread length from being inadvertently clamped between said member and said body, said means being provided by constituting said member as an upstanding extension from an L-shaped element, the lower limb of said element being secured to the bottom of said body, there also being a wedging mean for use at work interruption or completion, for locking said thread length against accidental withdrawal into said body, said wedging means being a notch on said member.

5. A thread holder comprising a hollow body for containing the thread supply, said body having an open top, a removable cap for closing said top, a slot extending down along said body from its open top to near its .bottom for allowing passage therethrough of a length of such thread, and an elongate resilient leaf member secured to said body for then facewisely lying opposite said body, said member being spaced laterally from said slot and extended substantially parallel with said slot, said member being so connected to said body and beyond such connection having such a resilient set as normally to allow free passage of said thread length between the same and said body, whereby on application of pressure to said member while making use of said thread length for tatting, crocheting or like work said thread length may from time to time as required be clamped behind said member to arrest further feeding of the thread, there being a means for preventing said thread length from being inadvertently clamped between said member and said body, said means being provided by constituting said member as an upstanding extension from an L-shaped element, the lower limb of said element being secured to the bottom of said body, there also being a wedging means for use at work interruption or completion, for locking said thread length against accidental withdrawal into said body, said wedging means being a notch on said member at the upper end thereof.

GLADYS CHASE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 158,382 Mathewson Jan. 5, 1875 347,804 Hubbard Aug. 24, 1886 782,503 Hechheimer Feb. 14, 1905 1,283,024 Armstrong Oct. 29, 1918 1,642,805 Carlson et a1. Sept. 20, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,919 Great Britain Mar. 20, 1911 

